Field of the Invention
Implementations described herein relate to apparatuses, systems and methods for forming a textured surface on a panel. More particularly, in one aspect the present disclosure relates to apparatuses, systems and methods of using at least one abrasion assembly to form a textured effect, such as, for example, a hand-scraped effect such as a simulated rustic or distressed effect, on a surface of a panel.
Related Art
For centuries, wood has been the recognized and sought after material of choice for use in flooring of homes and buildings. In centuries past, wooden planks or panels were cut and hewn by hand. However, since the early 1800s, machines have been developed for efficient cutting and planing of machined wood paneling and flooring. Unfortunately, the machined panels or flooring lost much of their hand-hewn or individualistic appearance.
In recent decades, the types of wood boards have expanded to include solid wood flooring, engineered flooring (which is made from several layers of wood and often designed to withstand higher levels of humidity), and laminate flooring (which typically comprises a faux wood image applied to a base of particle board). Typically, the machined or engineered flooring products are produced to have a generally smooth, machine-finished appearance.
As contemplated herein, boards can comprise any boards suitable for use on a surface such as a wall board or panel or a flooring board. Textured boards can comprise but are not limited to boards with a wear surface that comprises natural wood, such as plain or solid wooden boards or boards comprising a wooden top layer, preferably a hard wooden top layer, glued on top of a core. Optionally, some embodiments are applicable to boards that do not have a natural wooden top layer or comprise materials that are not wooden. For example, texture can be applied to a core material, such as to a core comprising particle board, MDF (medium density fiberboard), HDF (high density fiberboard), homogeneous PVC resilient flooring, homogeneous non-PVC resilient flooring or synthetic materials.
There is a growing demand for textured panels having a surface effect that simulates the antique and aged appearance of old beams and planks that were hewn out of logs by hand with an adze or an axe. In order to reproduce the “distressed” or worn appearance of old wood floors, flooring companies have devised ways to artificially distress the planks. Generally, these distressing operations have involved the use of extensive manual labor to produce a random distressed appearance. The manual distressing process is generally accomplished using combinations of hand tools and hand techniques. Many do-it-yourself television shows provide instructions to individuals, demonstrating how to distress wood using techniques such as hitting the wood with hammers, chains, and other hard materials that create dents and cuts of different shapes and sizes. As can be appreciated, such a process can be very time and labor intensive and, even in those instances in which the results are satisfactory, tends to increase the cost of the manufactured covering. Also, it is difficult to achieve a consistent look using manual distressing, which inhibits consumers from later purchasing a substantially similar product in order to cover additional floor space. Even further, manual distressing techniques are not well suited to many flooring types, such as engineered wood flooring. For example, the manual distressing technique of scraping may cut through the thin veneer on engineered wood flooring.
Alternatively, machining has been used to attempt to produce a hand-hewn appearance. Typically however, machine distressing of the panels has generally produced a “machined” distressed appearance that has a noticeable or repeated pattern. Conventional machine texturing of boards with various dimensions in an economic way is not straightforward. Thus, there is a need for apparatuses, systems and methods for producing a hand-scraped or distressed appearance to surfaces of flooring panels.